


Winter Wonderland

by Nokomis



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, STAY Server Winter Exchange, Snow Day, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nokomis/pseuds/Nokomis
Summary: The first snowfall of the season creates the perfect opportunity for some minor mischief. Stephanie recruits Jason to help.
Relationships: Stephanie Brown/Jason Todd
Comments: 16
Kudos: 74





	Winter Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BunnyJess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyJess/gifts).



> For Jess, for the prompt "first snowfall of the season" for the STAY Jaysteph server Winter Exchange! Hope you enjoy!

“So you might be wondering why I’ve gathered you here today,” Stephanie said, steepling her fingers and leaning forward.

Jason looked around, then said, “You realize that it’s just me, right? And you didn’t gather me anywhere, this is my living room.”

“Details, details,” Stephanie said, keeping her pose. “The important thing is, are you game?”

“For _what?_ ” Jason said. He looked adorably rumpled, wearing sweats and the t-shirt he’d obviously slept in. His feet were encased in red and green striped fuzzy socks. His hair was sticking up, and Stephanie focused on her plan, because she kind of wanted to reach out and smooth it.

“I’m not sure if you’re aware,” Stephanie continued in her best imitation of a supervillain’s monologuing tone, stolen directly from Luthor himself. “But last night, Gotham experienced an extraordinary event.”

Jason stared up at the ceiling. “Is this about the damn snow?”

“Sir, in this house we don’t blaspheme nature’s most beautiful bounty,” Stephanie said.

“Again, this is _my_ house, so yes, we absolutely do.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that I accidentally came to the _fuddy-duddy former Robin_ for help. I’ll just go and find a better partner to wreak chaos with. Have fun with your fuzzy socks and hot cocoa,.” Stephanie said, standing. Three, two…

“...What kind of chaos?”

Stephanie let a grin spread across her face as she turned the tablet she’d brought with her around slowly to reveal the montage of pictures she’d arranged.

Jason’s grin slowly matched her own.

*

“Okay, so, I know I said this was a brilliant idea and I was absolutely game,” Jason said three hours later, “but I think I changed my mind.”

Stephanie had been having similar thoughts, but Jason voicing them meant she immediately got a fresh sense of purpose. “Fuddy-duddy.”

“More like, _someone_ woke me at the crack of fuckin’ dawn after a full night of patrol, and we’ve been outside working for hours and we’re not even wearing our nice insulated gear.”

Stephanie rubbed her hands together and hated that Jason had a somewhat valid point. Her fingers had been numb for a while. Still... “Maybe just one more?”

In response, Jason picked up the snowball he’d just made and dunked it onto her head.

Stephanie shrieked; her hat protected her from the worst of it, but a few chunks of snow had somehow fallen directly into her scarf, the melting snow directly against the bare skin on the back of her neck. “Uncalled for!” 

That didn’t stop her from retaliating. She scooped up a handful of snow, and ran after Jason, determined to shove it down the back of _his_ coat. She managed to catch up to him, grabbing the hood of his jacket and leaping onto his back, shoving the snow down the back of his neck while cheering madly.

Jason responded by dropping her to the ground and immediately rolling over her, trapping her neatly between his body and the frozen ground. They’d been fortunate and the first snowfall had been a wet, packing snow instead of the crumbly, dry snow that normally fell first. But unfortunately that meant that clumps of wet snow worked its way against Steph’s bare skin as Jason did his best to shove it at her.

She fought back valiantly, laughing as she smashed a handful of snow directly against Jason’s cheek, laughing as he glared.

Still laughing as the glare softened into something else, something that took Steph by surprise. She realized abruptly how close they were -- Jason was nestled on top of her, their legs tangled together in the snow, their faces close -- and when Jason’s gaze flicked down to her mouth, she very nearly closed her eyes and leaned into it.

Instead she took the opportunity to cram a handful of snow up his back, working her hand under both his coat and shirt both to hit bare skin.

Jason yelped in a hilariously undignified way and rolled off her, squirming to dislodge the snow from his clothes. Steph laughed until her sides hurt, still laying in the snow, figuring she was already as cold as she was going to get. After a minute, they both lay there, panting. Steph glanced over. Jason’s cheeks were red and his breath puffed out visibility, his beanie caked with snow and sitting crookedly on his head. 

She thought of how close she’d come to kissing him, and suddenly she didn’t feel so cold anymore. 

Jason caught her eye, and smiled crookedly at her. The butterflies in her stomach intensified, and before she could think about all the reasons why she shouldn’t, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of Jason’s mouth. Before he could react -- turn his head so she connected more solidly with either cheek or mouth and answer her unasked question more definitively -- she stood up, making a show of brushing the snow off herself. 

He lay on the ground for a minute longer, looking up with her with this fond expression that for some reason brought to mind Nala in the Lion King, and then pushed himself up. He didn’t mention the kiss, just followed her lead and brushed the snow off himself as best he could.

Steph surveyed their accomplishments. “I did awesome.” She nodded to herself, proud of what they’d managed.

Jason bumped her shoulder and gestured around. “Fuck you, you mean I’m awesome and you couldn’t have done this without me.”

“...true,” Stephanie admitted. She’d ran through all her options when the idea had occurred to her, and Jason had been the clear leader, having both the dark sense of humor and creativity to pull it off.

Their workmanship was paying off. The entire front lawn of Wayne Manor had been transformed into a sea of snowmen, each in their own grotesque pose. When Stephanie had showed Jason the montage of Calvin and Hobbes snowmen massacre strips, Jason’s eyes had lit up.

“None of our actual deaths,” Stephanie had hastily told him, because the goal of the prank wasn’t to send anyone into a guilt spiral, but to have some good old fashioned snow fun, but with a fun twist. Stephanie’s personal favorite was the snowman bowling with his horrified snow-friend’s head. She was really proud of that one.

The front door of the manor cracked open, warm golden light spilling out. It was early, and the day overcast, snow still drifting gently down. The first snowfall of the season had coated Gotham in nearly half a foot of snow, giving them plenty to work with. There were over a dozen snowmen in various forms of agony sprawled across the front lawn, and Stephanie couldn’t wait to see Bruce’s face when he noticed it.

She could see Alfred’s silhouette, beckoning them inside. Jason looked like he was going to split, but Stephanie grabbed his hand in her own and tugged him through their handiwork -- past the snowman guillotine, past the snow-sharks chasing their prey, past the snow-Frankenstein clutching a plastic daisy-- towards the house.

“Let’s warm up,” she said, knowing Alfred was going to have the world’s greatest hot cocoa ready for them inside. “Maybe we can get into some fuzzy socks and watch for Bruce’s reaction.”

She’d already snapped a few pictures of their handiwork that she had full intentions of putting on social media. 

“Yeah,” Jason said, looking down at their joined hands. He smiled at her, that soft one from before, and Stephanie’s cheeks heated up. “Sounds perfect.”

It was.


End file.
